As the old song goes, the hills are alive with the sound of music. And folks around Big Blue are getting an earful. Regularly scheduled, outdoor live performances abound this time of year in the Tahoe area, and many of the bands serenade their audiences free of charge.

For instance, blues aficionados can get their jones satisfied during the weekly Bluesdays, which takes place every Tuesday evening (6-8:30 p.m.) in July and August at the Village at Squaw Valley.

Commons Beach in Tahoe City is the site of free concerts every Sunday afternoon (4-7 p.m.) until Sept. 9, featuring a variety of local rock bands.

The Truckee-Donner Recreation & Park District is hosting a weekly Wednesday evening (6:30-8 p.m.) music series -- think rock, soul, funk, country, Latin, swing, blues, folk and whatever -- until late August at the Truckee River Regional Park in Truckee.

The annual Music on the Beach concert series, featuring mostly local bands, returns to  the Kings Beach State Recreational Area on Friday evenings (6:30-8:30 p.m.), beginning July 5 and running through mid-August.

And in South Lake Tahoe, the Grand Lawn at Valhalla, near Camp Richardson, will be the site of free lakeside concerts on the afternoons (noon- 2 p.m.) of July 8, Aug. 19 and Sept. 2.